Many people are familiar with Kiva.org’s crowdfunded microloans, which support more than 3.5 million entrepreneurs worldwide. Fewer know the extent of Kiva’s efforts to expand financial access to help underserved communities thrive. Today, the international nonprofit promotes innovations in financial inclusion through Kiva Labs, helps countries build more inclusive financial systems with Kiva Protocol, and unlocks scalable investments via Kiva Capital.
To learn more about Kiva’s purpose-driven growth, we welcomed Chris Tsakalakis, CEO of Kiva, to the show. Chris and his team have created a cycle of impact, fostering person-to-person connections that have resulted in $1.6 billion in loans to 4 million borrowers around the world.
Listen for insights from Chris on:
- How Kiva identifies and leverages gaps in the financial inclusion market to develop new solutions and scale impact.
- Why making innovation a responsibility for all employees enables a mindset of continuous improvement and adaptability.
- How expanding financial inclusion initiatives can help address other urgent social issues, from gender equity to human rights.
Links & Notes
- (00:00) – Welcome to Purpose 360
- (01:01) – Kiva.org
- (02:40) – Meet Chris Tsakalakis
- (06:43) – What Drew Chris to Kiva
- (08:29) – Using Kiva
- (12:00) – Other Impact Lines: Kiva Capital
- (15:17) – Other Impact Lines: Kiva Labs
- (16:49) – Other Impact Lines: Kiva Protocol
- (19:26) – Kiva’s Partnership with the MasterCard Foundation
- (21:57) – Strategic Partnerships Team
- (23:09) – Finding the Right Borrowers’ Stories
- (24:14) – Relationship With HP
- (26:44) – The Pandemic
- (28:28) – Investing at Home
- (30:48) – Reporting Impact
- (33:22) – Why Corporate Listeners Should Partner With Kiva
- (34:48) – Why Governments Should Partner With Kiva
- (35:40) – Innovation Throughout
- (38:35) – What a Great Day at Kiva Looks Like
- (41:03) – Chris’ Family Background
- (44:52) – Three Insights
- (48:37) – Wrapping Up
